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Interbike Shows Nothing New

Published September 26, 2011

That’s right I didn’t see anything in the product area that blew me away. And, of course, I’m sure I’ll get comments from some manufacturer that says they had the new "XYZ" wheel, bars, stem, frame material or saddle profile. Sorry I missed your freaking innovation.

For me the most interesting part of Interbike was the energy. People seemed happy, upbeat and ready to have some fun and that’s right up my alley.

You could tell Interbike was trying to present some symbols of re-evaluation to let vendors, suppliers and retailers know that something is up….I could feel that. Kudos to the Interbike crew for pulling that off. I even took a few dizzying laps around the Circulus track in the basement to get into the swing of it. It made me think there may be some light at the end of the tunnel for this show, but to quote a svelte Karen Carpenter, “They’ve only just begun."

However, there were four words missing from this show and they all start with a “C." Cohesive, Collaborative, Connected and Committed. I’m not here to tell Interbike what to do because these four C's are more about the industry than a tradeshow property. As a group the U.S. bike industry has to pull together even more to the benefit of all.

The bike biz is hypercompetitive just like every other industry on the planet but it surely doesn’t feel like the outdoor industry who gets the four C’s to the tee. It's time for any brand that doesn't attend this show to let go of their Mr. Winky and get back on the floor—even with a 10x10. The 4 C's should trump ego and so called budget constraints to show a unified two- wheeled force willing to take the U.S. market to another level. Thinking about it? The 4 C’s may be more about you people in the industry than the industry itself.